Self-elevated lap desk



y 1952 E. A. BERMAN 2,596,094

SELF "ELEVATED LAP DESK Filed Feb. 9, 1950 ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 1952 UN ITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-ELEVATED LAP DESK Edith Anne Berman, Washington, D. 6.

Application February 9, 1950, Serial No. 143,235

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a portable desk for secretaries and stenographers which may be easily set in position for use on a chair occupied by such persons.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a secure and stable writing surface for a secretary or stenographer, or any other person desiring a fiat working surface in front of him, without need of providing such a surface by a retractable desk shelf or writing surface, or by the attachment of writing or working surfaces as parts of chairs, stools or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a readily portable writing or reading surface which may be securely held in working position despite the fact that it is not attached permanently to any piece of furniture. The desk is held securely in place by the rear side of the forward portions of the thighs of the person sittin upon part of the desk supports.

It is another object of the invention to provide a portable desk having at times utility as a desk shelf for the purpose of accommodating, papers and other items thereon and to segregate different items therebelow.

The invention proceeds upon the principle of providing a portable desk composed of a fiat writing surface from the underside of which extend supports therefor which rest upon the chair of the writer. These supports are provided with inwardly turned extremities so that the thighs of the person overlie these inwardly turned extensions in order to maintain the desk in stable and secure position. One of these supports is wider than the other in order to assure the superposition of the thighs of the sitter over them for varying sizes of the persons using the device. The spacing between the supports may also be adjusted easily to accommodate persons of different girths so that the portable desk is held securely in front of the person in comfortable position for writing, reading or doing any other similar work. The supports may be spaced suf ficiently to permit a slight spreading of the thighs if such a posture is more comfortable for the person using the portable desk according to the instant invention.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stenographer sitting upon a chair with the portable desk in position for use;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the portable desk;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View from the bottom thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along line 41-4 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawing'the portable desk consists of a plate I which may be formed of metal, plastic, plywood, fiber-board such as Masonite, or any other suitable material, and finished in any desired manner. The underface ofthe plate I has supports 2 and 3 extending downwardly therefrom for about eleven inches which is adequate to clear the height of any arms of the chair C which the stenographer may use. The supports 2 and 3 are formed of thin sheet metal and are attached to the underface of the plate I by means of screws 5 passing through openings in flanges 4 of the extensions 2 and 3 which penetrate into the underside of the plate I. Additional sets of holes 6, which may be spaced one inch apart, are provided in the underside of the table in order to permit an adjustment of the spacing between the downwardly extending supports 2 and 3.

The extension 2 is provided with an inwardly turned extremit 8 which is smoothly rounded from the vertical plane of the support 2. A similar extension 9 is inwardly turned from. the support 3, the latter however being wider than 8 in order to accommodate different sizes of persons who may use the portable desk, who will in all instances arrange extension .8 to be superposed by the left thigh but who will cover the .right extension 9 either wholly or only partially, depending upon the breadth of the stenographers thighs. Extension 9 may be covered a varying extent to suit the comfort of the sitter by permitting a variation in the spread of the legs in the sitting posture.

If the space between the extensions 8 and 9 is inadequate to accommodate a particular person,

one or both supports '2 and 3 may be shifted to obtain a wider separation therefor by the removal of the screws 5 and the re-insertion thereof into more widely spaced holes 6. This adjustment may be made quickly in view of the unitary construction of the mounting flanges at the top and inwardly turned extensions at the bottom which are integrated by the spaced sheet metal legs of the respective supports 2 and 3. These supports may be stamped from sheet metal be fore shaping them into their final configurations.

The portable desk is simple to fabricate and is light in weight so that the same may be easily handled by the stenographer when she assumes her position to take notes at any desired location of the chair on which she is sitting. When the portabe desk is not in use as a writing desk it may be used as a desk shelf on the top of a table or desk to support papers on the plate I or to store and segregate papers therebelow. The inwardly turned extremities 8 and 9 may be coated with a plastic composition in order that the same will not mar even highly finished surfaces when the same are in contact with either the chair or table surfaces.

I hav'efound a table top of 20" x 12" to be ideally suited as a, working surface for writin reading or eating. The supports 2 and 3 are disposed forwardly of the table to provide a comfortable and secure working surface in advance of the sitter. The supports may be less than half the width of the table, which are adequate for purpose of stability and are conducive to ease of handling.

While I have described my invention as embodied in a specific form and as operating in upon a chair, and an integral vertical support of sheet material fixedly mounted on the bottom of said plate forwardly of each end of said plate, and extending downwardly from said plate with an inwardly turned extremity for resting with a high degree of stability on the top of the chair and retained in place by the super-position oi the rear side of the forward portions of the thighs of the person upon each extremity of said supports, each of said supports being formed by spaced legs which are bridged by a mounting flange at the upper end thereof and the inwardly turned extremity at the lower end thereof.

EDITH ANNE BER/MAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS 

